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Veteran's Day/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A robot, Moby, is sitting on the floor of a living room with a horde of green army men all around him. He smashes two soldiers against each other, making them fight. A boy, Tim, walks into the room. MOBY: Beep! TIM: Aren't you a little old to be playing with army men? Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim & Moby, I'm confused. I thought we celebrated soldiers on Memorial Day. What’s Veterans Day for? From, Irwin. TIM: It's easy to mix up these two national holidays. An image shows soldiers from all branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard – standing in front of an American flag. TIM: They both honor the men and women of our armed forces. Memorial Day, in late May, is dedicated to soldiers who died in combat. It's a time to remember the fallen heroes who gave their lives for our country. An image shows family members and soldiers paying their respects at graves in Arlington National Cemetery. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Veterans Day is how we honor all of those who've served, in wars or during peacetime. That's what "veteran" means: someone who's served in the military. An image shows veterans in various dress uniforms standing in front of a large crowd. An animation shows Blue Angels planes flying across the sky above them. TIM: That includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Former reserve and National Guard troops are included, too. On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to them with parades, ceremonies, and other public festivities. MOBY: Beep? TIM: America has well over 20 million vets. Many have seen combat in war zones around the world. A split screen shows soldiers in a World War II D-Day landing craft approaching the shoreline on one side, and marines walking through rubble in Iraq on the other side. TIM: From stopping Hitler's march across Europe in World War II… to more recent struggles in the Middle East. But the origins of Veterans Day can be traced back to World War I. The fighting formally stopped in 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. That's why Veterans Day always falls on November eleventh. An image shows the November 11, 1918 cover story of The London Sun newspaper, which reads: Germans Surrender! The newspaper falls away to reveal an animation of a large crowd of people celebrating and waving little British, French, and American flags as confetti falls from the sky. TIM: Only back then, it was called Armistice Day. Armistice, a truce or cease-fire, referred to the German surrender that ended the war. It was a chance to celebrate peace in Europe after years of devastating battles. Over time, it evolved into a day to thank the vets who help maintain the peace. MOBY: Beep? TIM: American troops are in over 150 countries around the world. Some provide security for people living in unsafe areas. An animation shows a soldier waving a Red Cross vehicle through a military checkpoint somewhere in the Middle East. TIM: Others are on peacekeeping missions to prevent war from erupting. An animation shows a line of soldiers walking down a road as civilians stand along the side of the road. TIM: The military also runs counter-terrorism operations, stopping attacks before they happen. An animation shows soldiers conducting a night raid as seen through night vision goggles. TIM: But not all servicemen and women are in the line of fire. Some distribute aid to those affected by natural disasters. A split screen shows a soldier handing a brown box to a young boy on the left side, and a U.S. soldier and a Korean soldier together on the right side. TIM: Thousands more are permanently based overseas to protect allies like South Korea. Veterans Day was born out of a desire to show gratitude for all that our soldiers do. MOBY: Beep? TIM: When soldiers are deployed, or sent somewhere on a mission, they have to put their lives on hold. An image shows a mom celebrating her young daughter's birthday with her family. The family fades away, and the scene changes to show the mother in military gear patrolling a Middle Eastern town. TIM: They spend months away from loved ones, often in harsh conditions. Under stressful circumstances, they have to maintain discipline…and be ready to leap into harm's way at a second's notice. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Casualties are an unavoidable part of life in the military. Many vets return home with severe injuries or permanent disabilities. The left side of a split screen shows an image of soldiers transporting a comrade on a stretcher; the right side shows an animation of a veteran in a medical facility practicing walking with an artificial leg. TIM: Some even have conditions that require constant medical attention. The Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, is in charge of caring for our vets. They help them cope with injuries, both physical and mental. An image shows the VA logo. TIM: Dealing with high-stress situations, day in and day out, can take its toll. An animation shows a close-up of an army soldier's head. He is wearing a helmet, goggles, and green face-paint. Reflections of explosions are seen in the goggles as sounds of gunfire and shouting are heard. TIM: Many soldiers witness disturbing violence and destruction. They lose close friends, and work in terrifying conditions. An animation shows the same soldier dressed in civilian clothes sitting in a chair at a therapist's office. TIM: Some vets have a difficult time dealing with those kinds of memories, which can make it hard to reenter civilian life. MOBY: Beep? TIM: There are actually lots of ways to show your support! First of all, be sure to attend a Veterans Day parade in your area. An animation shows Tim and Moby attending a Veterans Day parade. TIM: Just seeing you out there will mean a lot. You can help raise money for a charity devoted to our Armed Forces. An animation shows Tim and Moby sitting behind a fundraising table with a cash box full of money and a sign that reads: Support the Vets. TIM: Or, visit an older veteran and learn about their personal history. An animation shows an older man speaking to students at a school. As he speaks, the half-transparent figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton appear around him. TIM: They're part of a tradition that dates back to the beginning of our nation. Most of our Founding Fathers were veterans of the Revolutionary War. And more than half of all U.S. Presidents served in the military. An animation shows the half-transparent figures of Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan joining the ghostly lineup. MOBY: Beep. TIM: That's admirable… but you have to be a resident, uh, and a human, to join the Armed Forces. And also be able to take orders. MOBY: Beep! TIM: Okay, why don't you start by cleaning up this mess? Tim gestures to the mess of army men all around them on the floor. Moby looks around, and slowly pushes his hand against a half-full bucket of army men. It begins to tip. Moby looks at Tim as he tips the bucket over, spilling the rest of the figures onto the floor. TIM: That's what I thought. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts